Gamay focus 12: two lovely cru Beaujolais from Antoine Sunier

Antoine Sunier is a new name to me. He’s the brother of Julien Sunier, who has been making wines in Beaujolais since 2008, and he came to the region in 2014 to set up this new domaine. So I guess this makes these the first releases. The Sunier’s father was a barber from Dijon, so the two brothers have come into the region and started from scratch. Antione uses just a little sulfur dioxide at bottling, so I guess these would qualify as natural wines, whatever that means. I was impressed.

Antoine Sunier Régnié 2014 Beaujolais, France12% alcohol. Floral violet and black cherry nose with hints of spice and meat, and some fresh raspberries, too. The palate shows bright raspberries and cherries with purity and power. There’s an almost chalky edge to the fruit. Lovely structure and precision here. Real finesse and focus. 93/100

Antoine Sunier Morgon 2014 Beaujolais, France
12% alcohol. Robust, spicy and a bit meaty with lovely raspberry and cherry fruit, as well as subtle herbal notes. Grippy and a bit peppery. This is a direct, edgy wine with good acidity and a savoury edge to the fruit. 92/100